About

Robert is an award-winning composer, arranger, flutist, saxophonist, and multi-instrumentalist, renowned for his diverse musical achievements and commitment to the arts. He studied music composition with Phillip Glass, John Cage, and James DeMars, and flute/saxophone with Jimmy Heath. His compositions and playing have won numerous awards and grants, including a BMI Award for Excellence in Music Composition, Arizona Composers Forum grants, and Arizona Council for the Arts grant. He was also one of the recipients of the 2013 Governor’s Arts Awards from the State of Connecticut.
 
Robert's commissioned music has graced prestigious venues such as The Kennedy Center and The Brooklyn Academy of Music and has been aired on NPR, Turner Networks, and Televisión Española. His compositions have been sought after by instrumentalists, choreographers, filmmakers, and dance companies, including Dennis Wright (Pilobolus, Alvin Ailey), Sally Radell (Emory University, Atlanta Ballet), Desert Dance Theatre, Kelly Roth and Dancers (NYC, Phoenix, Las Vegas), Marion Kirk Jones (Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey), Shields Collins Bray (pianist, Van Cliburn Foundation, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Opera), Robert Lyons (Pee Wee's Playhouse, Star Trek, Peter Gabriel) and Joseph Wytko (virtuoso saxophonist).
 
As a performer, Robert has showcased his talents as a flutist and saxophonist in diverse settings, including The Kennedy Center (soloist), BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), The Troubadour (Los Angeles), and CBGBs (NYC). He was also a featured performer in the Broadway Benefit Concerts for Newtown, alongside renowned Broadway stars like Danny Zolli, Jeri Sager, Gary Mauer, and Mark McVey.
 
For many years, Robert was the Secretary of the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission and co-founded the Newtown Arts Festival and served as its entertainment director for 5 years.". As one of the Directors of “Healing Newtown Through The Power of the Arts,” he acted as liaison between the Town of Newtown and The National Endowment for The Arts and was instrumental in helping to bring numerous events to the town. These efforts included bringing world-class performances by artists like the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, James Taylor, and numerous Broadway stars.
 
Robert wrote a grant that secured funding from the NEA to hire a full-time Art Director to oversee art therapy and healing programs in Newtown. He also facilitated significant donations of musical instruments and equipment to the Newtown schools and community from companies such as Steinway, Remo, Yamaha, Gibson, Fender, Alfred Publishing, Bose, Guitar Center, Heil Sound, Sennheiser, JBL, NAMM, Shure, Telefunken, Harper Collins, Carl Fischer, and Casio.
 
Robert is also an ordained minister in The Universal Life Church, an avid reader, maker of art assemblages, and servant to 3 demanding cats. The cats believe this should have been the first sentence in that it includes the most important information. He's fluent in English, Median, and Binary Digit. Yes, he's a technophile (translation: nerd).

 

What I did before retiring:

 

  • Regulatory Compliance Officer and Global Security Executive at IBM
  • Director, Global Information Risk Management at Cognizant

 

Miscellania:

 

  • Founder & Chief Scientist Emeritus at Nine Unknown Men Enterprises
  • Former Professor of Illiberal Studies at Unseen University
  • Went to Rock'N' Roll High School
  • Studied at Abide University
  • Pronounces name SLAR-tee BARRT-fast

 

Favorite quotes:

 

  • ILLIGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM (Don't let the bastards wear you down)
  • Be alert because the world needs more lerts.